Scapegoat Mom
by Sael
Summary: A look at the lives of Seventh Heaven's residents, and the family bonds they share and cherish.
1. Scapegoat Mom

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim all ownership of the characters of Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N:** This was originally a one-shot piece featuring only the first chapter. However, I've decided to expand on the family relationships between the residents of Seventh Heaven, as I particularly enjoyed writing the original _Scapegoat Mom. _I've also edited the original first chapter, fixing some minor errors, and making it a little more fluid. I hope you enjoy it.

**Scapegoat Mom**

There was knocking on the door.

Or actually, to be more precise, there was a series of obnoxiously loud pounding, causing the door to jolt violently.

Tifa twisted the knob, already aware of what she was about to face.

"You're his mother, aren't you?!"

A very angry woman stood at the doorsteps of Seventh Heaven, her hands fisted on her hips and her expression radiating potentially murderous intentions. Tifa raised her brow, slightly startled at the sudden outbursts of the stranger.

"Excuse me?" she asked, pretending to be uncertain of the situation.

The woman glared, causing little wrinkles to scrunch up near her eyes.

"Oh don't give me that! I know _exactly_ who you are!" the woman turned, revealing the bruised child that had been concealed behind her long skirt. "Look what your child did to my son!"

Tifa gasped slightly at the swollen visage of the little boy, but still, she remained silent.

"How old are you anyway?" the woman asked, her voice still excruciatingly loud.

Tifa gaped, ruby eyes slightly widened. "What does that have anything to—"

"I _asked_ you a question, young lady!"

The woman's glare intensified, but Tifa remained unmoved.

"I'm twenty-two," she said calmly.

"And your _son_ is about _ten, _I presume?"

Tifa shook her head. "Denzel is eight."

The woman clicked her tongue, pausing, as if she was mentally calculating something. Then she gasped, glowering furiously. "You had him when you were _fourteen?_ That's just _sick!"_

Tifa pursed her lips, irritated at the woman's rudeness. "I'm not his mother by birth. I'm his guardian," she said, her voice a little tense.

"I honestly don't _care_ about you _or_ your son, but you should _learn _to be a _better _guardian! If I _ever_ hear about that child coming near my boy again, don't _think_ I won't hesitate to report it!"

And with a loud _hmph_, the woman grabbed her child's wrist and stomped off, leaving Tifa to stare at her from the entrance of the bar. Sighing, she closed the door, but left it unlocked so Cloud could come in when he arrived. Thank goodness there had been no patrons, or that whole ordeal would have been quite embarrassing. But Tifa couldn't disregard the fact that Denzel was in trouble. After seeing what he had done to that other boy, she knew she had to do something about it. _I'm his mother,_ she thought, _I'll have treat him like a mother would._

Tifa walked across the bar, reminiscing about her own childhood and parents as she ascended up the staircase. When she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed that Marlene was seated on Cloud's bed, hugging her knees and wiping away her tears. Tifa sighed, and walked up to the children's room, knocking on the door.

"Denzel, can I come in?" she asked gently.

Only silence answered her, and she turned the knob, sighing. Denzel was seated on his bed, arms crossed, eyebrows scrunched and face red. Tifa leaned her shoulder against the wall.

"Denzel, do you want to tell me what happened?"

More silence.

"Denzel, I'm just trying to help. Listen, I saw what you did to that boy and—"

"Leave me alone! Just go away!" Denzel snapped, his voice harsh and shaky.

Tifa was a little startled, but regained her posture and sighed.

"Is that how you're going to be, Denzel? You're just going to shove me away?"

She noticed a little twitch in Denzel's hand.

"Denzel, please just talk to me. I'm only trying to—"

"I said _go away!"_

Tifa felt a slight pain in her chest, but she didn't move. Back when she was a little younger than Denzel, she and her friends had accidentally broken her neighbor's window. Her father had been a little upset, but Tifa, who had been angry at the accusations made against her, refused to apologize, and acted quite rudely to her parents. That was probably the first and last time she had been punished by her father.

And it reminded her of this very situation. Tifa pursed her lips, slightly irritated at how she was being treated. She decided to use the same approach her father had done when he had punished her.

"Denzel!" she yelled, her sudden change in volume startling him as well as herself. "There's a thin metal rod on Cloud's desk! I want you to bring it here, _now!"_

Denzel gazed at her, his eyes beginning to brim with tears.

"Y-you're going to h-hit me with it?"

Tifa paused, shaken by the sudden fear in Denzel's face. Nevertheless, she maintained her posture.

"I'm going to punish you for the way you're acting!" she said. "And for what you did to that boy!"

Denzel quickly wiped away his tears and snorted, hopping off the bed and shoving past her through the door. Tifa heard him stomp into Cloud's room, shuffle around some papers, then stomp back. When he returned, Denzel tossed the metal rod at Tifa's hands, his eyes still glaring.

"Go ahead, then! _Punish_ me! I don't care!"

Tifa gripped the rod firmly, placing it at her side and sighing. "Denzel, we all make mistakes. That's what makes us human. But sometimes, those mistakes bring consequences, and punishment may be the only way of making you remember not to ever make that mistake again."

Denzel's glare had diminished into more of an apologetic look, like the gaze a son would give to his mother just before being punished. It brought some comfort to Tifa's heart.

"Hold out your hands, Denzel," she said calmly.

Denzel trembled slightly, fear showing in his eyes. Tifa felt her heart rip at the sight, and it pained her to make him so frightened, but she knew she had to do this. Just like her father had done.

_I'm his mother._

Slowly, Denzel raised out his palms, shutting his eyes and jerking his head to the side, and biting his lower lip.

With a deep breath, Tifa held up the metal rod, and placed it in Denzel's hands.

The boy looked up, eyes emitting a puzzled look.

"I want you to hit me, Denzel," Tifa said, holding out her own palms. Denzel only responded with more confusion.

"There has to be a form of punishment. And I surely don't want it to be on you, so I'll take it. I'll take your punishment, Denzel. Now hit my hands."

A tear began to trace down the boy's cheek, reddening his eyes and causing his lips to tremble slightly. "T-Tifa…"

"Do it, Denzel. Just hit my hands."

"T-Tifa…I…I c-can't…"

"There has to be a form of punishment. I'm willing to take it for you."

"Tifa…p-please…"

"Denzel, if you don't hit my hands, I'll have to hit yours. You don't want that, do you?"

Denzel shook his head.

"Then hit me, Denzel. It's okay."

Denzel felt two more tears trail down his face, and his hands trembled at the thought of Tifa taking his own punishment.

"Just do it," she said, eyes showing kindness and concern. It was like a mother's gaze.

Hesitantly, Denzel raised the rod-held hand, and gently tapped Tifa's left palm.

"Denzel! That tickled! You can't call that punishment! You have to hit me harder!"

"But Tifa!" he yelled, dropping the rod. "I…I c-can't!"

With a burst of tears, Denzel embraced the woman that was willing to take his punishment. He sobbed onto her shoulder, hugging her, his scapegoat mom. Tifa smiled, letting out her own tears as the two squeezed each other close, unwilling to let go of the bond they shared together. Tifa leaned over the boy's shoulder, whispering into his ear, "I love you, Denzel."

He only cried harder.

When her father had done what she shared with Denzel, Tifa had sobbed all night, embracing her own scapegoat dad. It was the last time she ever got in trouble. After that, she was too afraid that her father would willingly take her future punishments, and Tifa Lockhart became the caring person she is today.

When he finally wiped away his last tears, Denzel thanked Tifa. She merely smiled at him and nodded, telling him that she'd make his favorite dish for dinner. Denzel walked into the bathroom to wash his face, leaving Tifa in the hallway.

She was surprised to see that Cloud had returned, and was busily searching through his room for something. Marlene was helping him.

"What're ya looking for?" she asked, slightly amused at the frantic look on Cloud's face.

"I know I left it here!" he yelled, tossing a pair of jeans onto the bed and sighing. "I accidentally broke Fenrir's kickstand last night! Have you seen it?"

Tifa giggled.


	2. Family Day

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim all ownership to the characters of Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N:** Due to the K+ rating, I edited out all the potentially profane words. Ex: The obvious comparisons to heck, darn, poop. You get the idea :)

**Family Day**

Cloud yanked off the small thread that was hanging off from his sleeve, tossing it aside and brushing off the wrinkles he had made. After dusting off his shirt and shoulders, he let out a deep sigh, causing Tifa to giggle slightly.

"Are you actually _nervous_ about this?" she teased, taking another bite from her granola bar.

Cloud shrugged, and followed her down the crowded hallway.

It was Family Day at Marlene's school, and all the first graders' parents had been invited to share the day with their children. Eventually, the kids would go up in front of their class, and share a little thing or two about their family. Marlene Wallace, whose father Barret was currently out of town, had invited Tifa and Cloud to be her "parents" for Family Day, and though Cloud hadn't been too thrilled about the idea, Tifa dragged him along anyway.

They reached room number twelve, and Tifa turned the knob, heading in and leaving a rather tense Cloud out in the hall. She paused at the door and sighed. "Come _on_ Cloud, you promised her! Now come on!"

Cloud winced as Tifa grabbed his button-up shirt (which he had ironed himself!), and followed her into the room of children and parents. They were immediately greeted by a woman (who Cloud assumed to be the teacher), and shook hands.

"Hi, there, Mr. and Mrs…" the teacher paused, expecting an introduction.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances rather awkwardly, but Tifa was quick to return a smile to the teacher. "You can just call me Tifa," she said. "And this is Cloud."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Tifa and Cloud. I'm Ms. Hileman."

Cloud let out a brief smirk, but the awkwardness was killing him.

What the heck was he doing in an elementary school?!

"Pardon me for asking, but who is your child?" Ms. Hileman asked, politely.

Tifa smiled, pointing to the little brown-haired girl near the corner. "Marlene," she said.

"Ah, I should've known! She looks _just_ like her father!"

Cloud nearly fell over, but Tifa let out a giggle.

After joining Marlene at her desk, Cloud and Tifa couldn't help but gape around at the colorful decorations and posters that were hung up around the walls. Cloud noticed that he and Tifa were probably the youngest parents here.

Or…guardians.

"Okay, first, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for arriving here today!" Ms. Hileman announced, smiling happily. Cloud wondered if she actually enjoyed her job as a first grade teacher.

"Our first activity will require some teamwork with your families! Can anyone guess what we're going to do?"

One of the first grade boys raised his hand, shouting, "Oh, I know! I know!"

"Yes, Aryn, what do you think?"

"We're gonna make ice-cweem!"

Cloud grimaced.

He hated lisps.

"Oh, you're very close, Aryn! How about another try?"

The boy tapped at his head with a finger, apparently expressing his current state of thinking. "Um…how…about…a burfday cake?"

Cloud winced again. _Oh the pain…_

"Close!" the teacher yelled. "We're making cupcakes! Now I want all of you to hold hands with your parents and line up in front of the door, okay? We're taking a field trip to the school kitchen! Who's the line leader today?"

Cupcakes? Cloud felt a shiver go up his spine. The last time he had attempted to help Tifa in the kitchen…

…well…it hadn't turned out pretty.

Marlene cheerfully shot her arm up. "I'm the line leader!"

"Oh, that's right! Marlene! Will you and your parents please stand near the door?"

Cloud didn't have anything against holding hands. Or being the line leader. In fact, he was even looking forward to eating some cupcakes, as long as Tifa and Marlene did the cooking. Or baking.

The only thing Cloud feared was a possible interaction with the kid with the lisp. Oh how he hated lisps.

In the school kitchen, Tifa and Marlene had indeed done all the baking, and their cupcakes had turned out the best, though Cloud wasn't too surprised. As he munched on the rainbow sprinkled cupcakes, he found it astonishing how mature Marlene was compared to the other first graders.

Soon after the kitchen had been cleaned, they all returned to the class, and Cloud was again forced to sit on the incredibly small chair. _Good thing Barret didn't have to come,_ he thought. The idea tickled his mind for a while, causing him to smile at the thought of Barret baking cookies with other parents.

When all the children had settled down, Ms. Hileman called out names, and each family was asked to go up in front of the class and talk about…well…their family.

"My big brother's on his high school track team!" the girl said, holding hands with her mother. "He's gonna be a Chocobo jockey when he grows up!"

Cloud winced as Tifa pinched him on the arm, glaring at him. "Stop dozing off," she whispered, and returned her gaze to the family up front.

"Hey guys, I'm Eirika's dad. My brother and I run a business downtown, ya might've heard of it. It's on the highest floor of the Edge Turn Mall. Can anyone guess what it is?"

"Edge Brewin' Coffee Shop!" one of the kids shouted.

Cloud yawned. This was ridiculous.

But things truly got worse when his greatest fear—the lisp child—was called to the front of the class. Cloud gritted his teeth, praying to the heavens for deliverance from the grueling pain.

"My thithter hath a pet gowldfith named Fwank! I wike to feed him when she's not home!"

After fifteen minutes of agonizing torture, Cloud sighed out in relief when the family of doom returned to their seats. But the Higher Powers must've had a grudge against the pitiful Cloud Strife, as Marlene's family was called up next. The awkwardness was just about to begin.

Marlene twirled her fingers around, eyeing her audience timidly as she spoke. "This is my family. My…um…mom…my mom's name is Tifa…and my d-dad…his name is Cloud."

Some of the children giggled. "That's a funny name!"

Cloud felt his cheeks getting hot.

"We live in a bar called Seventh Heaven. It's kinda far from the school, since it's close to the city borders. Um…my…br-brother…Denzel lives with us, and…sometimes, we have friends come over from lotsa different places. Like there's this one man named Vincent…"

Cloud swallowed. _No, Marlene! Don't mention Vincent! No!_

"He's kinda scary at first, and he's kinda shy, but…after a while, you get used to his quietness and he's really not a bad person. I mean…actually, he's really nice! But he always wears the same clothes! And I think he needs to get a haircut, but I know he never will. Oh, and there's Yuffie. She's a little loud, but she's funny too!"

Marlene's voice was slowly rising in volume. Apparently, she was getting used to this.

"And Nanaki! Oh, gosh, he's a little scary at first, too, but he's the most adorable cat ever! Oh, and he talks!"

The children gasped.

"Cid is a little mean, and he's a potty mouth, but I guess he can be kinda nice, too."

After successfully summarizing the biographical information of everyone she knew, Marlene stopped. Cloud hoped to God that Tifa would speak next, and sighed in relief when she began to talk.

"Hey everyone! My name's Tifa, and I'm Marlene's mom!"

Cloud heard one of the kids say, "She's pretty!" but then another one quickly retaliated, shouting, "Ew! You like girls?!"

"Like Marlene said earlier, I own a diner slash bar about ten miles from here. It's actually a really nice place, and you guys should stop by sometime. I'll give you some free yogurt if you do!"

Cloud choked. _Tifa! What are you **doing?!**_

"Anyways, that's pretty much it for me."

It took Cloud a while to figure out that it was now his turn to speak. After clearing his throat for about ten seconds and shuffling his sleeves, he began to mumble something, but Ms. Hileman kindly interrupted, asking him to speak a little louder.

"I'm Cloud," he said, staring at the lisp kid. "Cloud Strife. Um…I…um…I run a delivery service."

Pause.

Silence.

"It's…uh…it's called Strife Delivery Service…"

Another pause.

"Because…my last name is Strife…"

Awkward silence.

Cloud could hear Tifa struggling to hold back laughter.

"I…like…um…"

He scratched his head, trying to think of something to say.

"I like Chocobo racing."

Silence.

"And…um…"

More silence.

"I…"

Even more silence.

"Tifa sometimes calls me Chocobo head…"

Giggling from the audience.

"Because my hair…"

Silence.

"It looks like a Chocobo."

Slight giggling. Then more silence.

"That's all."

After receiving an awkward applause, Cloud slowly returned to his seat, unaware of the dangerously red color of his face.

When Family Day had finally come to an end, Cloud Strife and his family left the school. Tifa and Marlene took turns telling Denzel about their day, and Cloud waved his hand frantically to catch a taxi. Upon their arrival at Seventh Heaven, the kids quickly ran into their rooms to play a game of Life, while Tifa made some coffee for Cloud.

"Tifa?" he called, his body sprawled out onto the couch.

"Yeah?"

"Did I look _that_ dumb up there?"

Tifa smiled, handing him a warm mug of fresh black coffee.

"No," she said. "You were a great parent."


	3. Center of Gossip

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim all ownership of the characters of Final Fantasy VII.

**Center of Gossip**

Regardless to her distaste in attention, she had always been immersed in a sea of pointed fingers and spectators, relentlessly attacked by rumors, calumny, and gossip. No matter how much she tried to avoid it, Tifa Lockhart was always the center of attention.

As a child, she had been the tallest girl in town, consequently making her the one everyone noticed. Whenever the children would get together to play, Tifa was the one that would catch your eye. If there had been an accident or prank, Tifa was the one to blame. If one of the children got hurt, Tifa was responsible.

In her teenage years, she established a bar in the slums of Sector Seven in hopes that she'd be able to mature through the self-reliant task of managing a business. Though Tifa was no longer considered tall for her age, her attention-attracting magnetism did not falter. All over the small vicinity of Sector Seven, Tifa was relentlessly engulfed by nicknames, gossip and rumors. With names like "dolphin-tail" or "the bar chick," Tifa Lockhart could not escape her position as everyone's favorite gossip topic.

Only during her travels with AVALANCHE was Tifa finally relieved of such social mayhem. But now that she had settled down again, her life had returned to normal.

And _normal_ for Tifa, meant more gossip.

She rolled her eyes, tossing the trash bag into the dumpster and ignoring the giggling women that gave her occasional glances in between their conversations. One of the ladies looked strangely familiar, and it didn't take Tifa long to realize that it was the woman from last week—the one who had screamed at her for Denzel's involvement in a fight.

"-and she's only twenty-two years old! Now if you ask me, that's just sick!"

"Well why do you think she runs a _bar_, for heaven's sake?!"

"True, true. I mean, first of all, she dresses in all _black! _On top of that, she's a barmaid, and has two elementary children living with her! And like you just mentioned, she's only in her _twenties!"_

Tifa shut the door behind her as she stomped into the bar, her cheeks flushed with red and her fists clenched up into balls. It was now the fourth time she had seen those women gossiping about her, and it was making her _sick!_ Tifa ran up the stairs, skipping every other step, and hopped onto her bed, stuffing her face into the pillow and letting the tears pour out. She hated crying, but right now, that's all she wanted to do. No one was home to see her in this pathetic state, so she just let her anger take over, allowing the tears to soak into the soft fabric of her pillow. Why did everyone pelt her with such horrible accusations and judgments? Why was she always the one they gossiped about? Why couldn't she just be another normal person like everyone else?

"Um…"

Tifa jerked her head up, startled at the voice.

"You okay, Tifa?"

It was Cloud.

Wasn't he out delivering? Tifa quickly wiped her eyes and forced a weak smile.

"I'm fine, Cloud. I thought you were out—"

"I was out in the back, trying to fix Fenrir's kickstand. I heard the door slam and thought I should see what's up."

"Oh…"

Tifa sniffed. It was embarrassing to be caught crying, even in front of Cloud, who she had known for a great bulk of her life. Cloud stepped into the room, tossing aside his stained gloves and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?" he asked, eyes concerned.

Tifa smiled. "Yeah, it's nothing. I just kinda…ya know…felt like crying."

Cloud stared, perplexed. "Felt like crying?"

"Yeah."

"Tifa Lockhart, you're probably the worst liar ever."

Cloud smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever it is, don't let it get to you."

Tifa nodded. "Thanks."

"It's like you always told me. 'Be strong!'"

Over the next few days, work at the bar was slow, primarily due to the cold winter weather. The patrons began to visit the local coffee shops and cafés, preferring hot drinks like the toffee nut latte over the cold beverages on Tifa's menu. She didn't mind, though. It was actually kind of nice with the unusual peace and quiet in the bar. Her most loyal customers continued to stop by for a drink or a little chat, but other than that, Tifa was left alone. Marlene and Denzel were busy with school since their winter break was only a few weeks away, and Cloud was absent most of the time due to his deliveries and "problem with the kickstand."

Tifa stood on the tip of her high-top sneakers, reaching high into the cabinet and stacking up the clean dishes. She knelt down and pulled out a large metal tray, but hissed when she bumped her head on the rack. With a deep sigh, Tifa placed the tray near the stove. She was planning on making casserole for dinner, but shook her head in disappointment when she opened the fridge. It was almost empty.

Tifa glanced at the clock. She had an hour before the kids would arrive.

Tifa quickly grabbed her gil pouch, tying it onto her belt and forming a small knot so it would stay in place. She'd have to walk to the market.

Before she opened the door, Tifa had almost forgotten about the gossip women.

There they were, just as always, gathered around a small round table across the street, drinking their expensive tea and sharing the latest gossip and rumors with each other. Tifa just let out a sigh as she locked the door, quickly pacing past and hoping that she would pass through unnoticed.

She had failed.

"Oh look! It's the _barmaid!"_

"I wonder if that's the only set of clothes she has."

"Haha, what are you talking about? I am absolutely _all over_ her taste in style!"

"My eight year old daughter wears the same shoes as her!"

Tifa pursed her lips and walked on, trying as best as she could to just ignore the women. It took her about another two or three minutes before she was finally out of reach from hearing their talks of calumny, and Tifa slowed her pace as she headed for the market.

Edge Mart was the nearest grocery store, but Tifa didn't like shopping there, as she often ran into Reno for some strange coincidental reason. The red-headed Turk would always stalk her around the store, overwhelming her with endless chatter and useless conversations. It wasn't that Tifa had anything against Reno (actually, on second thought, she _did_ have a lot of things against Reno!), it was just that he made shopping a lot more time-consuming than it had to be.

So Tifa walked further.

The Gaia's Fruits Food Market wasn't a very lively place as most of its customers consisted of elderly women, but Tifa preferred their fresh products and foods over any other store in Edge. She pulled out the grocery list from her pocket, scanning over it quickly with her ruby eyes and tucking it back in. Her casserole was Denzel's favorite dish. Even though she usually only bothered to make it once a month, Tifa now had too much time on her hands due to the lack of customers, and she didn't see the harm in surprising Denzel a second time in two weeks. Cloud, on the other hand, wasn't the biggest fan of casserole, but this was unknown to Tifa since he always pretended to love it.

When her shopping was done, Tifa held the bags in two hands, shivering slightly as she returned to the winter cold outside of the store. Despite the black jacket she was wearing, her teeth began to chatter, causing her to giggle slightly.

It was almost as if they had been _waiting_ for her to return.

The gossip women began to taunt her again as Tifa made her way back to the bar, heaving the weight of her grocery bags and trying hard to ignore them.

"Well, well, it looks like the city _tramp_ has returned!"

Tifa widened her eyes. City _tramp?!_

"Oh will you stop teasing the poor thing? Look at her having to walk all the way back from the store. I guess she can't afford a _car."_

"Well that's too bad. My _housekeeper_ does all the grocery shopping _for_ me."

Tifa dropped her bags, unable to take any more of their ridicules. She was about to shout something, when she felt a hand press gently onto her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss? Do you mind if I help you with these?"

It was Cloud.

He took the bags in one hand, and wrapped his arm around Tifa, leading her back towards the bar. The gossip women had ceased their chatter, each of them now gaping in disbelief at the handsome man.

Making sure his voice would be heard, Cloud said in a loud voice, "So Tifa…how about I take you out on a date or something tomorrow? You know, if you're not busy." He winked at her, grinning as the women scowled behind them.

Tifa smiled, resting her head on Cloud's shoulder, and together, they headed back into Seventh Heaven.

After that day, Tifa never saw the group of women again.


	4. Fixing Fenrir

**Disclaimer: **I disclaim ownership of the characters of Final Fantasy VII.

**Fixing Fenrir**

Late nights without Cloud weren't anything new for Marlene, considering his busy schedule with deliveries and whatnot, but these days were different than before. _He_ was different than before. Ever since he broke his bike, Cloud was a lot grumpier to everyone in the house, and to be honest, Marlene was starting to get annoyed. And the fact that she had lost a tooth didn't make her feel any better.

As she sipped cautiously from her mug of hot chocolate, Marlene stared out beyond her window, gazing in awe as the snow continued to sprinkle down on the streets of Edge, coating the surfaces in a blanket of white. It was a beautiful thing, snow. She definitely wasn't too used to seeing such sights, as she had grown up in the Slums of Midgar, where the plate blocked all precipitation and sunlight.

Despite the cold weather, Cloud was still outside, fiddling with his stinkin' motorcycle and refusing to come in. Tifa had gone out multiple times, telling him he was going to catch a cold and that he should leave it for another time, but every time, Cloud would just give her a quick nod, and go back to messing with his bike. Marlene decided it was time to take things into her own hands. Tifa was obviously unable to scold him, since the two had been going out on occasional dates every now and then, but Marlene saw things differently. If someone didn't stop this, eventually Cloud would return to how he was before the whole Geostigma ordeal! Marlene couldn't let that happen.

She set her mug on the side table and hopped off her bed, scurrying to her closet and grabbing the thick hooded jacket Yuffie had bought for her last month. She walked out of her room, descending down the stairs, and paced past Denzel, who was busy flipping through his Gaia History textbook to finish his worksheet.

"Where're you going?" Tifa asked, stirring the broccoli cheddar soup.

"I'm going to go teach Cloud a lesson!"

Tifa giggled.

"Don't beat him up too bad, okay? He's just frustrated about his bike."

Marlene nodded and headed out the door, gasping at the sudden drop in temperature. It was fun to step around in the snow, dipping your shoes into the beds of frost and picking at the ice that stuck to the bottom of your pants. But for now, Marlene disregarded the temptations and marched off around the building. Cloud was in his usual location, crouched down against the wall and rubbing his chin at the bike (which in Marlene's opinion looked absolutely fine).

"Cloud! I wanna talk!"

Cloud glanced up, blue eyes questioning.

"What is it, Marlene?"

The brown-haired girl crossed her arms and scrunched up her brows.

"You're acting very mean to everyone these days, and I don't like it _one_ bit!"

Cloud stared, wide-eyed.

"I know it may be frustrating to break your motorcycle, but that's no reason to shove everyone away! Especially Tifa, who's only trying to help!"

"Marlene, I—"

"I don't wanna hear it, Cloud! Just think about what I said!"

Marlene stomped off. The corner of her lips was twitching slightly, and she couldn't help but feel proud at how adult-like she must've been.

Cloud, on the other hand, was baffled. He had just gotten scolded and put down by a six year old. He was a little confused at why she was so abrupt and upset, but then began to ponder his own recent behavior. Maybe he _was_ being too selfish. After all, his family was only worried about him.

Cloud dropped the broken kickstand and rose to his feet. Somehow, he was going to have to apologize to Marlene without Tifa or Denzel watching. It would be too embarrassing.

He sighed at the warmth of the heated air within the walls of Seventh Heaven, and immediately headed for the stairs, hoping that Tifa and Denzel would let him pass.

"Marlene's mad," Denzel muttered, still straining at his history book.

"Oh," was all Cloud said.

He climbed up the staircase and tossed his gloves and jacket onto his bed, then turned to the children's room. Marlene was on her bed, sipping at a mug with her back towards him.

Cloud sighed.

"Marlene."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, Marlene."

More silence.

"Are you mad?"

A nod.

"I'm sorry."

Silence again.

"Look, can I make it up?"

She shook her head.

"Then what should I do?"

"You should be _nicer_ to everyone!"

"Alright, Marlene. I'm sorry I was being selfish. I'll…" Cloud paused, a little perplexed at the situation he was in. "I'll be nice."

Marlene finally turned around, slowly. Her round eyes and soft lips still emitted an expression of anger, but she nodded, signaling his forgiveness.

Cloud let out a soft sigh and nodded back, grinning slightly.

"Wanna have a snowball fight?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"Tifa's too good. She murdered us last time!"

Cloud smiled.

"That's because she was angry about the toothpaste prank we pulled on her."

Marlene let out a soft giggle, grinning at the memory.

"What's wrong with your bike, anyways?"

"The kickstand snapped off. I tried to fix it, but I ended up breaking it in half."

Marlene shook her head.

"That's because you're clumsy!"

"I guess," Cloud said, smirking.

"Did you try gluing it? Or using duct tape? Duct tape fixes _everything!"_

"Haha, I'm not so sure if duct tape could hold up the bike's weight, though. That's what the kickstand's used for."

Marlene nodded, thinking deeply.

"Why don't you just try buying a new one?"

Cloud shrugged.

"I checked out the automotive store, and kickstands were ridiculously expensive."

Marlene jerked her head up. "I have gil! I saved up at least seven hundred to buy a moogle doll! You can use it!" she exclaimed, her voice full of joy.

"That's alright, Marlene. I think you should get the moogle doll. I'll fix the kickstand."

After another half hour of conversing, the two were summoned by Tifa and brought down to eat dinner. The dinner table featured four bowls of warm broccoli cheddar soup, and though it was a light meal, everyone was content with the warmth it provided.

When they were all finished, Cloud offered to do the dishes, which was a surprise to Tifa. She was about to say something, but Marlene quickly tugged at her arm.

"It'll keep him busy!" she whispered. "Can you take me to the auto shop? I wanna buy a new kickstand for Cloud."

Tifa smiled.

"You're going to fix his bike for him?"

"Uh-huh."

"Alright, then. Let's go," Tifa said with a slight nod.

While Denzel kept Cloud busy with endless questions about Gaian history, Marlene and Tifa quietly tip-toed out of the bar, both of them dressed appropriately for the cold weather. Marlene's footsteps were still scattered around the snow from before. Silently, Tifa reached down and balled up a handful of snow, chucking it at Marlene's back.

"Hey!"

Marlene quickly retaliated with her own snowball, and the two began to pace along the street in this manner, giggling and shouting gleefully. When they finally reached the automotive shop, Marlene gasped at the countless tools and gadgets that were displayed along the walls and shelves.

"Which one's a kickstand?" she asked.

"Hmm…"

Tifa led the girl down the aisles of the store, scanning her eyes over the shelves and searching for something that looked like a thin metal rod. The only problem was that there were too many thin metal rods that _weren't_ kickstands!

"May I help you?" a saleswoman asked.

Marlene nodded.

"We're looking for a motorcycle kickstand."

The woman led them to the motorcycle area, and picked out three different sizes of kickstands.

"Do you know which size?"

Marlene shrugged, but Tifa stared down, trying to decide which one was right. Last week, she had held the kickstand in her hands during her moment with Denzel. It was at least a foot in length.

"I think it was the twelve-inch," she said, pointing at the middle kickstand.

"Here you go, then."

They returned to the check out table, and Marlene retrieved her gil pouch that hung from her belt.

"It'll be two hundred gil," the woman said.

Marlene nodded and counted out the appropriate amount, sliding it across the table.

When they returned to the bar, Marlene and Tifa busily began to work at the motorcycle. Cloud's toolbox was already placed near the bike, and so they used the screwdriver to take out the broken kickstand, and replaced it with the new one.

"That wasn't so hard!" Tifa said, dusting off the snow from her gloves.

Marlene nodded.

The next morning, Marlene checked under her pillow to see if the tooth fairy had left any gil in exchange for her tooth, but was a little disappointed when she found nothing at all. What kind of tooth fairy took teeth without leaving gil?!

After stretching out her limbs and hopping out of bed, Marlene gasped at the huge moogle doll that was placed at the corner of her room.

Meanwhile, Tifa knocked on Cloud's door, but figured he was out delivering again when no one answered. She went in to leave his laundry, but caught a glimpse of the receipt that was placed on his table.

It read: _Oversized Moogle Doll – 680 G_


	5. Hero

**Hero**

Denzel eyed his enemy cautiously with his weapon raised at his side and Marlene whimpering behind him. She was cowering in fear, but he couldn't blame her; this was no ordinary enemy. It was much larger than its cousins, its venomous limbs clawing madly at the air, threatening them in a frightening manner.

"Be careful, Denzel," Marlene whispered, clutching the back of his shirt. Denzel swallowed. If Cloud wasn't out delivering, he would have easily felled this foe. If Tifa wasn't out grocery shopping, she'd have given this monster a good beating. But unfortunately for the young duo, their guardians were not currently present, so it was up to Denzel to save the day. It was _his_ duty to be the hero of the hour, to save Marlene from potential harm, and to rid his home of this foul creature.

"Whoa! Denzel! It's coming!"

"Watch out!" Denzel yelled, shoving Marlene towards the back of the room and raising his free arm out to shield her. The enemy was quick—much quicker than his own movements. In order to beat this foe, he'd have to maneuver his way around the room, protecting Marlene at all costs while making sure he didn't lose sight of it.

To Marlene and Denzel, it was a hideous abomination—a bringer of ruination and doom. But to Cloud or Tifa, it would have just been another annoying spider that was probably responsible for all the cobwebs that hung loosely in the corner of the children's room.

Denzel held the spatula up to his side, leveling it with his shoulders, while guarding his frightened companion with his free arm. This was going to be tricky. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath, and turned to face Marlene.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Stay here and don't move, okay?"

She nodded. "Be _careful,_ Denzel!"

Denzel grasped the spatula with both hands, charging forward and unleashing a loud battle cry as he swung furiously at the erratic movements of the spider. His attack clashed with the wall twice, but he had missed. Instead, the enemy was now retreating to a higher level of the wall, fleeing like a coward to a position Denzel couldn't reach.

"Aw, you almost had him!" Marlene cheered, her hands balled up and shaking in excitement.

"He's quick!" Denzel snapped, glaring up at his foe in irritation. He'd have to alternate his weapon to a long ranged device. He jerked his head left and right, searching for some kind of tool he could use to decimate the enemy from a distance.

"Marlene! Go to Tifa's room and check if she still has those boomerangs on her table. And _hurry! _It might get away!"

Marlene gave a quick nod and darted out from the room, leaving Denzel to face the abominable creature alone. "Come on, you coward!" he yelled, waving his fist furiously in the air.

It wasn't long until Marlene returned with Tifa's hair band, which to Denzel appeared as a small boomerang, used as a weapon of range. She tossed it to him from the door, and he caught it with one swift motion.

The spider was still concealed behind a larger picture frame, but Denzel knew exactly where it was hiding. He crept his way around the bed, gripping the "boomerang" in one hand and holding the spatula in the other. "Watch this, Marlene," he grinned, positioning the hair band at an angle over his shoulders.

"Come on Denzel! You can do it!"

He flung his arm hard, jerking his wrist and releasing the hair band as it soared through the air, colliding with the picture frame and causing it to fall to a soft landing on the bed. The arachnid darted towards the next frame, but Denzel had already anticipated this move.

"Hyaaah!"

He jumped up, pushing off the edge of the bed and swinging his weapon hard into the wall, cracking it slightly.

"Did you get it?!" Marlene squealed, still hiding behind the large dresser.

Denzel hissed. "Dang it! I missed!"

"Denzel, maybe we should just wait until Tifa gets back. I mean, last time, she took care of that huge—"

"No, Marlene! I can handle this!" Denzel's glare intensified as his eyes pierced through the frame of their family portrait. There was no way he was going to let that thing hide behind _that_ photo! He climbed onto the bed, hesitating a little before reaching out to pull away the frame.

"Eek! It's _there! _Right _there,_ under your arm!"

Denzel winced, tumbling backwards onto the bed as the disgusting spider crawled over the skin of his arm. "Ah! Get it off! Get it _off!"_

Marlene watched in terror as he wriggled around the bed, kicking and grunting in a panicked frenzy. When he finally settled down, Denzel's chest was heaving up and down. "Are you alright, Denz?"

"Yeah…but where'd it go?"

"I think it's still on the bed! Get off, Denzel! It might eat you!"

Denzel quickly rolled off, swinging the spatula in random flings at the air, and backing off to where Marlene was crouched behind the dresser. Maybe it _was_ a better idea to just wait for Tifa to get back. Denzel found himself a bit frustrated at his failure to kill that stupid spider, but most of all, he was just trying to protect Marlene.

"Do you think we should resort to Tifa's Death Sprays?" Marlene asked. The last time a bug came in, Tifa had killed it with some air fresheners, and as a consequence, Marlene had entitled them the _death sprays._

"No, that's just cheap. We might as well put up a good fight," Denzel argued.

That's when he saw it.

The eight-legged black bringer of ruination was crawling out from under Marlene's pillow!

"Ew!"

Denzel leapt forward, smashing at the white sheets with his weapon relentlessly, swinging harder and harder each time until he was _sure_ he had killed it.

"Is it dead? Denzel, did you get it?"

"Yeah. I killed it," he gasped, panting for air.

Marlene crept up slowly, approaching the bed with cautious steps, just in case the beast had survived. "What if it's all smushed up under our pillows? I don't wanna sleep with spider guts!"

Denzel grinned. "You'd rather sleep with a _live_ one?"

"No!"

"Then c'mon, help me clean up the sheets."

Denzel lifted his pillow, and sneezed as the feathers hovered down onto his form, tickling his nose and sprinkling onto his shaggy brown hair.

But Marlene's attention was elsewhere.

"Oh my—Denzel! It's still alive! It's still alive!"

She darted back to the dresser, trembling in horror as the spider hovered across the room, weaving its web as a transportation to escape the rage of Denzel.

"Denzel! Help! It's coming!"

Denzel snatched up the spatula, waving it frantically towards the floating spider, but he only managed to break its web, sending it falling down to the floorboards beneath. He gaped, eyes wide, as it crawled its way towards the screaming Marlene.

"Aak! Get it away! Get it away!"

"Marlene! Run!"

Denzel twisted around, snatching up the glass cup on the side table and diving towards the fleeing spider. He trapped it.

"Did you get it? Did you get it, Denzel?"

With a deep sigh, he nodded.

Of course, he intended to kill this _thing_ that had threatened his little sister, but when Denzel saw the little spider darting around inside the glass container, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the sucker.

"What are you going to do?" Marlene asked, approaching him slowly. "Are you going to kill it?"

"Of course I am! It almost _ate_ us!"

Marlene frowned. "I kinda feel sorry for it."

"Why?! It tried to attack you!"

She nodded. "But still. It looks so helpless."

The spider was balled up inside the cup, its eight long legs scrunched up to its body.

"Maybe it's just a little kid. Like us," she continued. "Maybe it got lost."

Denzel shrugged. "Hmm…maybe."

"I think you should let it go, Denzel."

Denzel sighed, still staring down at the helpless creature. What would _Cloud_ do in this situation? If Marlene had suggested such things, would he have killed it anyways? Maybe it _was_ just a little lost kiddy spider.

With another sigh, he returned to his feet, slipping out a sheet of paper from his desk and sliding it under the cup. The spider rolled onto the white surface, but began to dart around again, frantically trying to escape from the glass prison.

Marlene smiled as she followed her hero down the stairs. He held the cup upright, and placed his hand over the paper shield so the spider wouldn't climb out.

"Can you open the door?" he asked.

Marlene nodded and turned the knob, letting the cold winter wind break in through the opened door.

Denzel looked down at the little creature one last time, before shaking the cup down towards the doorsteps, setting the spider free and watching it scramble away.

"You're a real hero!" Marlene yelled, smiling widely. "You saved me, _and_ the spider! You're _awesome_, Denzel!"

Denzel grinned, a bit embarrassed. "Ya think so?"

"Yeah! Wait till we tell Tifa about this! And Cloud! You stopped a spider without even _killing_ it!"

The two children returned to their rooms, cleaning out the messy bed and returning the spatula and "boomerang" to their rightful places.

About half an hour later, Marlene heard a loud shriek from outside. When she ran down the stairs to see what was going on, she saw Tifa slam the door behind her, dropping the grocery bags and gasping for air.

"Oh my God!" she yelled. "There's a _huge_ spider on the door!"


	6. Cowlicks and Nightmares

**Cowlicks and Nightmares**

He was a little hesitant at first, having second thoughts on waking her at this time of the night, but he decided it was necessary. Cloud leaned over against the door and tapped two knuckles against the hard surface. Marlene was standing next to him in her pajamas, one hand clutched over the short white limb of her enormous moogle doll, while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the other. She glanced up at him, straining, and let out a soft giggle.

"What?" Cloud asked.

Marlene shook her head. "Oh nothing. It's just that your hair looks funny."

Cloud raised a brow, and ran five fingers through the blonde mess, and realized that the right side was much flatter than the left. He frowned and tousled the hair a few more times, hoping it would regain its natural shape before—

The door opened.

Two half-open ruby eyes peered out from the room, a bit alarmed at the late night intrusion. "What is it?" Tifa asked, yawning widely.

Cloud's hand was still clutched over his hair when he said, "Denz seems to be having a nightmare. Marlene and I tried calming him down, but it didn't really work out. I thought maybe you should—"

"Cloud," Tifa interrupted, leaning forward and straining her eyes. "What's wrong with your hair?"

She stepped out, her lips curving up into a wide grin as she reached forward and pulled away his hand. A soft giggle escaped from her mouth before she said, "Wow. That's a pretty bad cowlick."

Marlene laughed.

"Okay…so, about that _nightmare_," Cloud muttered, lowering his brows as they continued to laugh mockingly.

Tifa nodded. "C'mon. Let's go."

They tiptoed across the hall, cautious not to make any sudden noises. Marlene was still dragging her huge moogle doll, but she was careful enough not to run into any picture frames or other obstacles.

Tifa was in the front, so Cloud couldn't help but grin from behind at her baggy sweatpants and enormous t-shirt that was draped over her shoulders. But then again, it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before, considering she _always_ wore his clothes as her pajamas.

They crept into the room, and Tifa could already hear the muffled hisses and shifting coming from Denzel's bed. The floorboards creaked slightly under their weight, but they managed to reach his bed without making too much noise.

"Denzel," Tifa whispered, brushing her palm over his drenched forehead. He shifted slightly as her fingers combed through his damp hair, but his eyes remained shut. Tifa leaned in closer, studying his distressed look, and frowning at the pain he was in. This was all so familiar to her. His pain, her efforts to comfort him—they were all things that had happened before. Just a few months ago, Tifa made frequent visits to his room during the night, dabbing a towel over his forehead and trying to stop the puss from overwhelming him; Geostigma was a memory she never wanted to relive.

"Denzel, it's okay. It's just a nightmare," she breathed into his ear.

Cloud and Marlene watched from behind as she continued to calm him. It really was a mystery how she was so good at these things, despite her inexperience as a mother figure. Personally, Cloud was still in the process of learning this whole…_parent_ business, but Tifa seemed to have it down pretty well, though he couldn't figure out _how_ she was so good at it.

"Mom…" Denzel groaned, biting his lower lip and trembling fearfully. Tifa frowned. He must be dreaming about his parents.

"Mom…I…"

Denzel clenched his fist, jerking his head to the side and wincing painfully in his sleep. Marlene reached out her hand, wrapping her small fingers around Cloud's and leaning in closer.

Denzel had always been hesitant in sharing truths about his "previous" life, and his "previous" parents, but Tifa and Cloud knew enough to realize that such memories were unwanted and better left forgotten. Denzel wasn't alone in his loss; all the residents of Seventh Heaven had lost their parental figures as youths, though Marlene knew little about her real family.

Tifa reached out, placing her hand over Denzel's chest and whispering something Cloud couldn't hear.

After about four to five more minutes of uneasy shifting, Denzel finally seemed to calm down under the soothing voice of his guardian. Cloud raised his brow, astonished.

"Maybe we should stay here with the kids tonight," Tifa suggested. Marlene's eyes widened, and nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah! Tifa, you can sleep on _my_ bed!"

Cloud grinned. He didn't mind sleeping with the children, and though he didn't show it, he _especially _didn't mind having Tifa's company. He raised his leg over Denzel's body, making sure he didn't disturb his sleep, and pulled the rest of his weight over onto the bed, causing the mattress to dip lower.

Denzel cracked an eye open, shivering slightly before turning his head to see Cloud.

"Sorry, I woke you…" Cloud whispered. "You were having a nightmare."

Tifa was already with Marlene on the other bed when she asked, "Are you alright now, Denz?"

Denzel nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Marlene scooted under the blanket, but made sure Tifa had enough to cover her shoulders. "I _hate_ nightmares! The other night, I had one about someone stealing Kupo!"

Kupo was the name of her huge moogle doll.

She turned her gaze to Cloud. "Do _you_ ever have nightmares, Cloud?"

"Of course," he grinned. "Even _Tifa_ has nightmares."

Tifa nodded. "But none of them are _nearly_ as scary as what your hair looks like right now," she teased.

Denzel and Marlene giggled.

"You hair _does_ look pretty funky, Cloud," the boy agreed, grinning widely at the strange, disfigured "Chocobo" head.

He shrugged. "Guess I'll have to wash it before I head out in the morning."

Marlene leaned over the edge of her bed, making sure Kupo didn't fall off. "What are your nightmares about, Cloud?"

Cloud paused, a bit startled at the sudden interrogation. He could see Tifa's eyes peering at him through the darkness, telling him it probably wasn't best to share such things with the children.

"I…" he spat out the first thing that came to mind. "I once had a nightmare about Barret wearing a dress."

The room was filled with giggles.

"What about _you,_ Tifa?"

"Oh, you know…stuff like Vincent shaving his head, Yuffie babysitting you guys, frightening little things like that."

Marlene grinned. "Boy, you guys sure do have some freaky dreams!"

Denzel giggled again before saying, "You know what would be even _scarier?"_

Cloud shrugged.

"A dream about _Cloud_ wearing a dress!"

There was a still silence in the room. Cloud lowered his brows, the horrific memories flashing back into his mind. Such things were best left forgotten, he decided.

He glanced over at Tifa, knowing she was being tempted to speak out.

Tifa grinned.

She had _almost_ said it.

Almost.

"So Denzel," Marlene said, breaking the silence, "Was your nightmare about your parents?"

Tifa tapped her hand under the blanket, signaling that it wasn't a good idea to ask such things.

Nevertheless, Denzel nodded, saying, "Yeah. It was awful."

Cloud rested his head on his arms, finally disregarding the cowlick. For now.

"You miss them?" he asked.

Denzel glanced over at him, eyes showing confusion. "Them?"

"Yeah, your parents. Do you miss them a lot?"

Denzel's eyes shifted to the ceiling. "I'm…not sure what…" he paused, then turned and said, "Why would I miss you and Tifa when you're right here?"

Tifa and Cloud gazed at each other through the darkness, both looking a bit startled.

Then, they smiled.

**A/N: **I'm not sure if I should start an actual plot with this fic, or just leave it as a series of family-centered snippets. Most of these scenarios are just things that pop into my mind during the day, and I just like to imagine how Tifa, Cloud and the children would react to such _normal_, everyday things. Anyways, thanks for the reviews!


	7. Seventh Heaven: Diner and Bar, Ber

A/N: Thanks for the input!

**Seventh Heaven: Diner and Bar. Ber.**

Marlene couldn't remember the last time Cloud had been so angry at Tifa. She watched with observant eyes at the way his brows twitched. His face was red, lips pursed, eyes low and arms crossed. Well, she couldn't see if his arms were crossed or not, but she knew they were. To put it simply, Cloud was very, very mad.

She sipped at her hot chocolate, sparing occasional glances at the two adults that were situated at the center of the bar. Denzel had been smart enough to stay in his room, but Marlene was curious. She wanted to know how it would turn out.

"You know what?" Tifa snapped, waving the pair of scissors in the air. "I've had enough of your attitude! If you really don't want to—"

"It's a bit late for that," Cloud muttered. Marlene noticed another twitch in his eye.

"Cloud! You're being so stupid! It's just a _haircut!"_ Tifa barked. "You _know_ you need one, and you could at least _thank_ me for taking the time to cut it for you! In case you haven't noticed, I closed the bar just so that—"

"I honestly think I could have managed without a haircut," Cloud mumbled.

Tifa let out a loud "ugh!" and dropped the scissors on the floor. "Marlene! Don't you think he needed a haircut?!"

Marlene swallowed. She casually took another sip at her mug and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes and no," she muttered.

"See?!" Tifa and Cloud snapped simultaneously.

Tifa waved a fist furiously, forcing Cloud to wince slightly. "And it's not like I'm shaving your head or anything! I'm just giving it a trim!"

"You cut off two inches of my bangs," Cloud retaliated.

Tifa hissed. "That was _not_ two inches! That was like half a centimeter!"

Cloud turned his head. "Marlene, does that look like half a centimeter to you?"

"Yes and no," Marlene repeated, ignoring the line of sweat that traced down her cheek.

"Why are you being so dumb about a stupid _haircut?!_ I honestly don't understand why—"

"I didn't need a hair—"

"Stop interrupting me!"

Marlene sighed.

"I'm just saying I didn't need a haircut. I don't see why you're being so—"

"So what? So what?! I'm being so what?!"

Cloud swallowed. "So…_intransigent._"

Tifa lowered her brows. "Intransigent? _Intransigent?! I'm _being intransigent? Don't think I don't know what that word means, Cloud Strife! _You're_ the one who's being intransigent!"

Marlene raised a brow. "What's intransi…whatever you said?"

"Stubborn," Cloud muttered.

"Actually, _Cloud,_ it means _uncompromising."_

"Inflexible or unyielding would be more precise," Cloud snapped.

"And that's exactly what _you're_ being!"

"Tifa. The last time you said I needed a haircut was two weeks ago. I trimmed—"

"Cloud, you wouldn't be arguing with me if you had seen that cowlick you had the other night."

Marlene felt her lips twitch.

"Don't bring the cowlick into this," Cloud mumbled, eye still twitching erratically.

"The cowlick has _everything_ to do with this! You'd be begging me to cut your hair if you had seen what it—"

"Tifa. Leave. The cowlick. Out of this."

"You know what, Cloud? Fine! Keep your long hair! Don't come barging into my room, asking me to finish the job when your customers start to comment on your deformed Chocobo head!"

Marlene held her breath as Tifa stomped off from the bar, ascending up the staircase and slamming the door behind her. She almost pitied the way Cloud looked right then: His hair half-trimmed, half still long, his eye still twitching, his lips pursed.

"How come you hate haircuts so much, Cloud?" she asked, setting her mug of cocoa on the side table.

"I don't. I just didn't need one."

"But I think you should still appreciate the fact that Tifa was willing to give you one. Haircuts aren't cheap, you know."

Cloud raised a brow. "Marlene, how do—"

"I pay for my own haircuts!" Marlene barked.

"Oh," was all Cloud could say.

"Plus, I think you look great with a haircut."

"Which half? The trimmed side or the 'deformed Chocobo' side?"

Marlene sighed. "Cloud, do you like Tifa?"

Cloud's eye twitched once more, then widened. "What?"

"You like her, don't you?"

"Marlene, what does that have to do with—"

"I think you hurt her feelings, Cloud. To be honest, I really can't understand why you can't just thank her for what she's doing. She's only trying to help."

Cloud turned his head, placing his gaze on the young girl for the first time. "Yeah, but…"

"So," Marlene cut. "_Do_ you like her?"

"I…I don't see how that would—"

"Ah ha! Yuffie told me that if a boy tries to avoid the question, it means he likes her."

Cloud lowered his brow. "Yuffie would know, wouldn't she?"

"If you like her, then I think you should apologize."

"But I didn't do anything wrong. I was just dragged in to getting a haircut I didn't need."

"Cloud, you're being intransigent."

Cloud raised a brow. She was a quick learner.

"To win a woman's heart, you have to be a gentleman," Marlene said, arms crossed.

"Where did you learn that?"

Marlene grinned. "Papa used to watch a lot of soap operas on TV."

Cloud nodded. "That's kinda disturbing."

Marlene shrugged. "I know, but that's beside the point! You need to tell Tifa how sorry you are for being so…"

"Intransigent?"

"Yeah! And tell her you love her!"

Cloud almost fell off the chair. "What?! Why?"

"That's the only way she's going to feel better. Honestly, I don't think just a simple 'sorry' will fix this mess."

"Marlene, I don't think that's—"

"Oh fine, I knew you'd be too chicken anyway. I guess Yuffie was right."

Cloud raised a brow. "Right about what?"

"Yuffie says that you two will be the first couple in which the girl asks the guy out first."

Cloud lowered his eyes. "Marlene, you're not allowed to spend time with Yuffie any more."

"What _you_ should be worrying about right now is whether or not you'll be spending any more time with _Tifa!"_

Cloud sighed. How was it that he was getting lectured by a child sixteen years younger than him?

"Oh come on, Cloud! Even if you don't tell her the mushy stuff, at least apologize! And plus, I don't think you'd want to go out with half a haircut. Tifa's the only one who can finish what she started! Unless you really _do_ want to have a deformed Choco—"

"Okay, Marlene, alright. I'll tell her I'm sorry."

Marlene grinned. "Good!"

Cloud dusted off the strips of hair that were stuck to the black cloak over his shoulders. "I was being serious about Yuffie, Marlene."

The girl shrugged.

"What do you think I should say?"

Marlene sighed. "Sorry!"

"I know but, _how_ should I say it?"

"You should be like, 'Tifa,'" Marlene held her hands up in the air and wore one of the most dramatic expressions a child could ever impersonate. "'I'm sorry, Tifa. You were right. I needed a haircut. I was being intransigent and dumb.'"

Cloud lowered his brows.

"'I'm sorry, I really am. You were just being helpful and kind and considerate, whereas I was being stubborn and selfish and—'"

"Okay, Marlene, I get the point."

Marlene giggled. "Something like that. That'll work."

Cloud nodded once and patted the girl on the shoulder before climbing up the stairs in a slow pace. He didn't notice Denzel in the children's room, but merely walked on to the room on the far right. He tapped his knuckles against the surface, and held his breath.

There was no answer.

"Tifa," he mumbled. "Tifa, can you open the door?"

Silence answered him.

"Tifa, I'm sorry. I…" Cloud scratched his head. "I was being intransigent. I guess I was just a bit irritated about getting another haircut."

"I told you to stay away!" Tifa's voice snapped from the room.

"I know, but you know I can't stay away from you for too long," Cloud said, a bit shocked at his own words. "I made a mistake, Tifa. Can you forgive me?"

After a brief moment of silence, Cloud heard the footsteps approach the door.

"To be honest with you, I really like how this haircut's turning out. I guess I really did need a trim."

The door opened slightly, and Tifa's ruby eyes peered out from the small crack. She stared at him for a while, scanning his visage intently, then said, "Isn't it a bit silly how all of our fights are about the dumbest things?"

Cloud grinned. "Last time, we argued about how much salt we needed to put into the soup."

Tifa giggled. "But I swear, I only cut half a centimeter from your bangs."

Cloud shrugged. "I know, you're right."

Downstairs, Marlene placed the empty mug into the sink and filled it with water. She wiped her small hands on the rag and placed two fists at her waist. Sometimes, those adults were so immature. Honestly, what would they do without her?

About five minutes later, she heard a door slam upstairs. She wondered what it was about, but soon after, she heard Cloud's voice yell, "Denzel! Come out right now! You need a haircut!"


	8. Running Water

**Running Water**

There are certain pains that can pretty much drive a person to insanity. Cloud Strife was apparently experiencing something of the sort.

"I have to go to school, Cloud! Open the door!" Marlene pounded on the bathroom door with a clenched fist. "I'm gonna be late!"

"Just five minutes! Give me _five _minutes!" Cloud shouted back, his voice quivering with the occasional grunts and yelps. Marlene had no idea what was causing such a panic, but her attention was currently fixed on the ticking hand of the clock. "Cloud! I'm calling Tifa!"

"C'mon, Marlene, I'm in serious pain here!"

"What're you _doing _in there?" she could hear running water. The sink was apparently turned on at full power.

"Look, I'll be out in a sec!"

"I don't _have_ a sec, Cloud! I _need _to brush my teeth!" her impatience was slowly graduating to an irritated annoyance. "At least tell me what you're _doing!"_

There was a brief pause, and all Marlene could hear was the running water. Moments later, there was a sharp grunt followed by an "Ow! Gaah!"

"Cloud! What's going on?!" she pounded her fist against the door.

By now, all the noise and commotion had woken up Denzel, who slowly joined Marlene with drowsy eyes. "What's the matter?" he mumbled.

Marlene smacked the door again. "Cloud's not opening up!"

"Why?"

"He won't _tell_ me why! Cloud! Open the door!"

The door swung open. Marlene and Denzel gasped as Cloud peered out at them from the bathroom, clutching the left side of his face with a hand, while leaning his weight onto the sink with the other. His hair was damp, his teeth clenched, his arm trembling.

"Cloud?" Marlene stuttered. "Wha-What's wrong?"

"My eye…"

Denzel stepped back, obviously frightened.

"My eye…it…it hurts…"

"Why?"

Cloud winced, gritting his teeth and splashing a handful of water into his left eye.

"Did something get into your eye?" Marlene asked.

"I think it's a lash," Cloud muttered, rubbing maniacally. "All I know is it _hurts!"_

Marlene leaned closer, peering at the blonde man with curious eyes. "An eyelash got into your eye. And that's what's been causing all this?"

"Hey! It _hurts,_ okay?"

Denzel shook his head. "What a pansy…" and with that, he waltzed back into his room; he still had another fifteen minutes till he needed to get ready for school.

Marlene fisted her hips. "Get out, Cloud! I need to wash up for school!"

"Goodness, show some _pity! _You don't understand how much pain this _stupid_ lash is causing me!"

"Whatever, go downstairs and use the kitchen sink!"

"It's too dark down there! I need to _find_ this stinkin' lash!"

Marlene scoffed. "You're being _selfish_, Cloud! I need to go to school, but first I need to get washed! But _you're_ in there whining about your _eye_ and you won't let me get in the _bathroom!_Stop crying and get out!"

Cloud paused. It was happening again. He was being scolded by this little girl. But this time, he wouldn't have it. He was going to retaliate.

"I'm not being _selfish,_ Marlene! I'm trying to get a _lash_ outta my _eye_, so I can _see_ and go to work! To go to _work, _Marlene! I'm doing this for _you! _No, see…_you're_ the one that's being selfish!"

"I hate you!" Marlene screamed. It was a bit abrupt, and Cloud surely didn't see _that_ one coming. "I hate you, Denzel hates you, and _Tifa_ hates you! Yeah, Cloud! Tifa _hates _you! She told me two days ago! She said she can't stand you being around! All you do is just fuss, fuss, fuss! She cooks your _lunch,_ she does the _dishes,_ she _works,_ she does _everything! _She took the time to give you a haircut, and all you did was get all grumpy about it! Everyone hates you, Cloud! So just…just…_go away!"_

Cloud watched, perplexed, as Marlene stomped away into her room, arms crossed and back stiff. He didn't know how to react, what to say, or even what to do. So all he did was stand there, listening to the running water of the sink, and tousling his hair in confusion.

Truth be told, he was a bit shocked at Marlene's outburst. She had said things she usually would never say, even _if_ they were true.

Cloud felt sick.

He turned the water off, and in a matter of about seven minutes, he was out the door, dressed for deliveries. Fenrir gave a loud roar before Cloud Strife drove off, pondering deeply about Marlene's eruption.

---

When evening came and the sky darkened, he returned home exhausted. He had eaten lunch and dinner at a marketplace near Kalm. By now, everyone was probably asleep, he was hoping. Another confrontation with Marlene would just be awkward, and he didn't know how he felt about talking to Tifa tonight.

The door creaked slightly as he entered, but he made sure not to make any abrupt noises. The bar was dark. He had to blink a couple of times to adjust his eyes, and slowly crept over to the staircase. He noticed a plate on the table with spaghetti and meatballs. Tifa probably left it there for him to eat when he got back.

Cloud climbed the stairs, wincing at the creaks and moans of the old wood. All the doors were closed, which meant everyone was sleeping.

He walked into his own room, tossing his bag onto the bed and sighing in exhaustion. He flicked the light switch on. The first thing he noticed was that his desk was unusually clean. There weren't any papers scattered all around, no pens and pencils abandoned near the corners. His eyes shifted a small card placed in the center.

He picked it up.

_Cloud,_

_First of all, I'm sorry for lying to you today. Of course, everything I told you was a lie, and I was just trying to make you cry so that your lash would come out! That's how Papa helped get the dust out of my eye back in Midgar. He'd always say something really mean to try and make me cry, and it worked! Then he'd say he's sorry and give me a big hug. I hope I didn't hurt you, but I'm sure you knew I was just acting, right? Hope your eye is better!_

_Love,_

_Marlene_

_PS. Tifa actually told me the complete opposite of what I told you earlier!_

Cloud read over the last line a few times, trying to figure out what it meant. Then, he placed the card back down and looked back towards the door. That Marlene was one smart kid. He had to admit it. She was smart.

That's when it struck him. The pain in his eye had vanished. He didn't remember crying at all. Or maybe he did. Regardless, he'd have to thank Marlene tomorrow.

When Cloud Strife climbed into bed, he rested his head on his arms and stared up at the ceiling. The last line of that card was all he could think about.

He was going to have a pleasant sleep tonight.

**A/N: **Okay, if you've ever had a lash get into your eye, you would know well that it _HURTS._ It doesn't matter if you're a five-year-old kid, or a blonde ex-SOLDIER who killed a billion baddies. Those lashes kill.

And I'm thinking that this fic is turning into a big glorification of Marlene's intelligence. Heh…


	9. The Solution

The Solution

The metal cart kept edging to the right. Tifa hated the ones that did that. In the grocery store, there were three kinds of shopping carts. The first was the kind that had a maladjusted wheel. It would either skid across the tiles occasionally or require a lot of force to make turns. The second was the kind that just liked to lead to the side. Nothing seemed to be really _wrong _with the cart, it just preferred to roll to one side, and took force to keep straight. Of course, the third was the good, flawless cart. Personally, Tifa hated the second kind the most, and that's what she'd been stuck with.

"Cart giving you trouble, Tifa?" Marlene asked, one hand placed over the side of the cart.

"Yeah, it keeps rolling to the right."

"Hmm… I can help push it to the left a little."

Tifa smiled. "Thanks, Marlene."

It was always comforting to have company while shopping for groceries. Cloud and Denz were both shoveling snow in the front of the bar, but Marlene was a great grocery companion. "Hey, do you remember what Cloud said he needed for his bike?"

Marlene pressed an index finger against her chin and raised her head as if in deep thought. "Hmm… I _just _lost it! I think it was some kind of _oil_ or something."

Tifa nodded. "Yeah, I think that's right. We'll pick it up on our way to the kitchenware section." She stopped the cart and stepped over to the dairy products. The slip of paper in her hand indicated that they needed two dozen eggs and carton of milk.

Meanwhile, Marlene noticed a picture of a large Chocobo plush on a cereal box and scurried over curiously. _Limited time offer, _it said. She didn't like the ones that made you send in a bunch of stuff to the cereal place. The ones that had free toys _inside _the box were the best.

"Mommy, isn't there a way to stop it?"

Marlene turned and noticed a small girl, perhaps a year or two younger than herself, clutching the collar of her shirt. "It hurts, mommy," she said, grimacing as the hold on her shirt tightened. The mother was busy picking out seasonings from the shelf, and didn't seem to notice her daughter's trouble.

"Marlene, let's go," Tifa called, waving at her from the cart. Marlene nodded and hurried back to the dairy section.

"What else do we need?" she asked as she absently read the label on the milk carton.

"Hmm… let's see. We need sugar, we got the ketchup. We still need napkins, the spatula, and Cloud's oil." Tifa began to push the cart again, still annoyed at the screeching noise it made as it led her to the right. "You want ice cream or cake, Marlene?"

The girl shook her head. "Denz got sick from the tiramushi we got last time."

Tifa giggled. "Tiramisu?"

"Oh, yeah that!" Marlene said with a wide smile.

She followed Tifa towards the napkins and tissue aisle, but her attention was still directed at the little girl from before. She and her mother were now at the opposite side of the aisle.

"Why won't it stop, mommy?" she continued to cry.

What was wrong with her, Marlene pondered. Maybe she had a lash in her eye, too. "Tifa, that girl keeps telling her mom that something's wrong, but the mom won't listen."

Tifa reached out for one of the napkin packs, her mind calculating prices and total costs. "Huh? What was that, Marlene?"

Marlene turned back towards the girl. Maybe Tifa was too occupied at the moment. This was something _she _needed to figure out on her own. The girl still had her hand clutched over her collar. Strange, Marlene noted. It couldn't be a lash, then.

"Mommy! It keeps doing that! Why won't it—"

"Honey, I can't help you with that. You just need to wait it out."

"But it hurts!"

Tifa signaled that they were done in this particular aisle, and Marlene followed her out, away from the girl. Their next destination offered shelves stacked with pie crusts, baking powder and sugar. Tifa leaned in towards the large white packs and began to calculate again.

From the back of the aisle, Marlene noticed that the girl was now roaming about by herself. Maybe she could go and just _ask _what her problem was.

"Hey Marlene, have you ever heard of this brand?" Tifa asked, holding up one of the sugar bags. Marlene studied it briefly and shook her head. "That's fake sugar. Cloud said it's not good for you."

"But it says 'pure sugar' on the bottom."

Marlene shrugged. "That's what Cloud told me."

Tifa sighed, and returned her gaze to the shelf. "It's so cheap, though. Maybe I should call Cloud."

Marlene noticed that the little girl was now in the same aisle, still gripping her shirt. She was making strange gagging noises every now and then, which made Marlene more worried than curious. Maybe she _did _have a bigger problem than it appeared.

Her _shirt _didn't seem to have any stains or obscurities that Marlene could identify. Maybe there was something stuck in her throat.

"Hey Cloud?" it was Tifa. She held the phone between her ear and shoulder, and read the labels out loud. "No, but Marlene said that you told her it wasn't real sugar."

The little girl was now walking towards them. Still breathing deeply and hunched forward as if she was exhausted. Maybe she had _breathing _problems, Marlene noted. There had to be some way to solve this girl's problem. This was just the way Marlene was. She always wanted to fix problems. Whether it was Cloud's bike, or a lash in an eye, or Cloud and Tifa's fights, there was always something to solve.

The girl flinched again, and made a gasping noise. Marlene admitted, it was really strange, the way the girl grimaced every time the whole process repeated itself. "Hey Tifa," she said. "Do you think you could give me a minute?"

Tifa nodded, still busily discussing complicated economics and financial strategies on the phone with Cloud. Marlene took another glance at the girl, and decided it was time to take action. She took a deep breath, and ran full speed to the _other _side of the aisle—opposite of where the girl was. And then, she disappeared behind the next food shelf.

"Ow!" the girl cried as she flinched again in pain. She released her grip on her shirt collar and let out a deep sigh. Maybe it was time to give up. She'd tried everything but there was no way get rid of the pain.

_Is this how it ends, _the girl thought to herself, eyes directed inattentively at the pack of flour on the top shelf. Seriously, she wondered if other people struggle with this pain the way she did. Maybe it was something that was just supposed to be. Maybe there really was no way to solve this prob—

"RRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

The little girl almost died right then and there. She screamed and almost fell over from the sudden attack from behind. Panting heavily, she jolted around and saw a brown-haired girl grinning at her. "Hey, I'm Marlene," she said.

The girl stepped back, mixed with both confusion and frustration. "Why'd you _do _that?" she cried, heart still pounding violently.

"I wanted to help solve your problem," Marlene replied. "Hiccups can be annoying, I know."

The girl raised a brow, and paused momentarily. After finally deciding that the painful attacks had indeed ceased, she smiled back at her savior and said, "Thanks."


End file.
